Presented to Swift Current Corps of The
Salvation Army, 25 September 2011, the Weekend of Prayer to Stop Human
Trafficking and 20 October 2013. Presented on the same same occasion 25
September 2016 at Warehouse Mission in Toronto. Presented also on the 15th
Anniversary of Corps 614 Regent Park in Toronto, 01 October 2016. And to Alberni Valley Ministries on 13 January 2018
This is the 01 October 2016, Corps 614
version. To view the original, click here: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.ca/2011/09/rahab-redeemed-joshua-2-hebrews-1131.html
To view the January 2018 version, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2019/01/joshua-2-redeemed.html
To view the January 2018 version, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2019/01/joshua-2-redeemed.html
A distinguished, prominent big city pastor
cruised through a small town. As he did his eyes fell upon a child not more
than two feet tall at the door of one of the houses. The boy was on tiptoes
valiantly attempting to reach the doorbell. Amused and wanting to help, the
pastor parked his car and went over to assist the boy. He reached up and pushed
his finger onto the button and the chimes rang inside. Satisfied that he had
done his good deed for the day, the pastor turned to the child, “Okay, what
happens next?”
With a smile the child replied, “Now we
run!”
Another story: This lady goes to the
doctor. She has been in serious pain for quite a while. The doctor asks her
where it hurts and what is the matter. To which she replies, “It hurts when I
touch my temple; it hurts when I touch my side; it hurts when I touch my arm;
it even hurts when I touch my nose.”
“I
think I know what the problem is”, the doctor says, “your finger is broken.”
Now, of course, last week we spoke about
the real pain associated with Human Trafficking. Susan spoke about Hagar. Today
I thought we would chat about the story of a prostituted Canaanite lady, Rahab
(Joshua 2&6, Hebrews 11:31, James 2:25). While there is no direct evidence
that Rahab was trafficked to various locations: her family lived in the same town as she did (Jericho) and by all accounts she had a
strong positive relationship with her family (Joshua 2:12-13, 18; 6:23).[2] However,
many of the people trafficked today in Canada are prostituted in a way similar to
the way Rahab was a prostitute:[3] though Shrine prostitution was not uncommon
among the pagan peoples in Canaan, Rahab was not a shrine prostitute: the
language used of Rahab’s activity refers to her strictly as a secular prostitute
not unlike some in our own time, in our own country.[4]
Prostitutes then, like prostituted people today, were often on the margins of society. Today we are marking the 15th
anniversary of our corps and many of us who are or have been part of 614, at
some time, for some reason, have also been marginalized. Such was Rahab. The
significant thing about Rahab, of course, was that she was redeemed – even as she
was marginalized God redeemed her. She turned from her life in Jericho to a life
in God (Joshua 2, 6); she was redeemed - James recognizes her for both her
faith and her works (James 2:24-26). Rahab was redeemed and the author of the
sermon (or letter) to the Hebrews even records her as one of the heroes
(heroines) of the faith. Hebrews 11:31: “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because
she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.” Rahab,
the prostitute, was saved. Rahab was redeemed.
Now today when we hear the name Rahab, we
often think of this lady whom the LORD used to save the spies and deliver
Jericho into the Hebrews’ hands. Does anyone know what the name ‘Rahab’
actually means? It -literally translated from Hebrew- means ‘broad’, ‘fat’, or
‘large’ and in common usage it refers to ‘fierceness’, ‘insolence’, and
‘pride’.[5] In the Bible, the country of Egypt is sometimes derogatorily
referred to as a Rahab. Rahab is an insult used of one of the Hebrews’ off
again / on again enemies, the Egyptians.[6] Egypt - according to Isaiah and
according to the Psalms – Egypt is a fat, insolent, Rahab (Psalm 89:10, Isaiah
51:9; cf. Psalm 87:4, Isaiah 30:7). Rahab in our story today was a prostituted
Canaanite. But Rahab is saved! and Rahab is redeemed!
Now many of you know some of our own
personal history. Susan, the girls (the oldest 2 anyway), and I served with 614
Vancouver in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside many years ago. And before we were
appointed to serve the LORD and the Army in Toronto here, we served in Downtown
Winnipeg and Winnipeg’s North End; I also served in Stoney Mountain
Penitentiary and Saskatchewan. We made more than a few friends in these
environments who –like Rahab- were relegated to the margins of society by
either circumstances, their choices, and/or someone else’s actions. We had
friends in our cell groups, Bible studies, knee drills, church services, and/or
staying in our very home (we ran a transition residence in Vancouver) who were
prostituted peoples, addicted to drugs and alcohol, reliant on theft and
deception, and we have friends whom the Lord redeemed and transformed as
–among other things- we read the Bible in community.
We have had more than one friend, for whom
our hearts still break, overdose, convicted of murder, and other such things – some even since knowing the Lord.
Sometimes we fall back but even still I have seen God transform many lives:
sometimes once, sometimes twice, sometimes thrice, or even more as need be.
There are many more people still relegated to the margins of our society even
here - they (we) are not unredeemable; they (we) are as ready for redemption as
anyone. During the many years we lived and worked in Saskatchewan between
Nipawin, Tisdale, Carrot River, and Swift Current, I have spent many hours
sitting with my friends in the courts, speaking with our friends in the courts,
speaking on behalf of friends in the courts, praying with friends in the
courts. There are many people we knew there and we know here who wind up on the
margins of our society by either circumstances, their choices, and/or someone
else’s actions. They can be redeemed. We can be redeemed.
The weekend between the garage sale, church service and
everything else we have been marking our 15th anniversary as a corps
and many of us at one time or another have found ourselves outcast like Rahab.
Rahab in our story today, Rahab was a prostitute. Rahab was a Canaanite. Rahab
was marginalized. Rahab was an outcast. And Rahab is saved! And Rahab is
redeemed! We can be saved! We can be redeemed!
I have been involved with AA at times in my
life and at AA we speak about a higher power. Step 1 in AA: “We admitted we
were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.” Step
2: We “came to believe that a Power
greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity” and Step 3: We “made a
decision to turn our will and
our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.”
And God is great and God can redeem us and
God can save us. And God offers salvation not only from alcohol; not only from
addiction; not only from a horrible, storied past of abuse and other things;
but from all else as well. There is one name by which we all can be saved not
only for the here and the now but forever (Acts 4:12). That Name, that One is
Jesus. Jesus has died and he rose again from the grave so that we don’t need to
be trapped in our addictions; we don’t need to be trapped in our sins; we don’t
need to be trapped in our struggles. Jesus rose from the grave conquering sin
and death so that even those of us most caught by sin and by circumstance can
be saved. Rahab was prostituted in a doomed pagan city. Rahab is saved and
Rahab is redeemed. We, no matter who we are and what we have had done to us what
we have done, we can be saved. We can be redeemed (TSA docs. 6&10).
After Rahab’s faith and deeds were used by
God to save the Hebrew spies and deliver Jericho over to the LORD, do you know
how the Lord transformed her life? According to Jewish tradition, she became
the ancestor of eight priests (Tal Megillah 14b). She is listed as one of four
women of surpassing beauty (Tal Megillah 15a; the others were
Sarah, Abigail, and Esther).[7] Rahab may mean ‘broad’ but this Rahab is
nonetheless a beauty. She is – as Reba said last week – she is not a back of
the store lady; she is a front of the store lady! Like we all can be front of
the store people! The Bible tells us Rahab married Salmon, one of the princes
of Judah (Ruth 4:21, 1 Chronicles 2:11, Matthew 1:5). We remember too the
wealthy landowner, Boaz, who married the Moabite Ruth of the book of Ruth; this
prominent Boaz was Rahab the Canaanite’s son. Ruth was Rahab’s daughter-in-law.
Ruth and Boaz had a child, Obed, who was Rahab’s grandson. His son, Rahab’s
great grandson was Jesse and his son, Rahab’s great great grandson... do we
know who that was? Who was Jesse’s most famous son? He was King David from
whose line God promised Salvation and to establish His Dominion for ever!
(Matthew 1:5-6; cf. 2 Samuel 7). This was of course accomplished through
another descendant of Rahab the redeemed prostituted Canaanite – that is Jesus,
the Redeemer himself, the Messiah! (cf. Matthew 1:16).
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that
he sent his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish
but have everlasting life” – and God chose to do this through, to send His only
begotton son through the ancestral line of the redeemed life of Rahab.
Scholar Richard Hess tells us that, “the
story of Rahab confirms God’s welcome to all people, whatever their condition.
Christ died for all the world and the opportunity is available for all to come
to him through faith, even the chief of sinners [like you and like me] (1
Timothy 1:15)...Rahab exhibits faith and understanding of the God who saves
her. She becomes part of the family line that leads to the birth of Jesus
(Matthew 1:5) and [she is] a model of faith for all Christians” (Hebrews
11:31).[8]
Rahab, who was once a prostituted Canaanite
on the margins of society now stands redeemed, saved, holy, cleansed, and as
one of the heroes of the faith. You and I here today, no matter what we done,
no matter who we have been, no matter what has happened to us, we too can be
saved. Jesus died on the cross so that we could die to our sins and He rose
from the grave so that we could live out a holy, redeemed life (cf. Romans
10:9-13). It is my prayer that today each of us would - like righteous Rahab -
take God up on His offer of His Salvation and of His Redemption.
Let us pray.
[1] Cf. Captain Michael Ramsay, Genesis
50:15-21: Regarding Forgiveness: Do not be afraid, for are we in the place of
God? Presented to the Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 07 August
2011. Available on-line: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/08/genesis-5015-21-regarding-forgiveness.html
And Captain Michael Ramsay, Genesis 39:2a: The Lord was with Joseph and He
Prospered. Presented to the Swift
Current Corps of The Salvation Army, 10 July 2011. Available on-line:
http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/07/genesis-392a-lord-was-with-joseph-and.html
[2] Cf. Robert B. Coote, The Book of
Joshua, (NIB II: Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1998), 592.
[3] Cf. RCMP Criminal Intelligence. Project
SECLUSION: Human Trafficking in Canada (Ottawa: 2010).
[4] Leon Morris, The Expositor's Bible
Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Hebrews/Exposition of Hebrews/VIII. Faith
(11:1-40)/F. The Faith of the Exodus Generation (11:29-31), Book Version: 4.0.2
[5] ‘Rahab’ in Easton’s 1897 Bible
Dictionary. Cited from Biblegateway.com. Available on-line:
http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/dictionaries/dict_meaning.php?source=1&wid=T0003054
[6] ‘Rahab’ in Smith’s Bible Names
Dictionary. Cited from Biblegateway.com. Available on-line:
http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/dictionaries/dict_meaning.php?source=3&wid=S10094
[7] Leon Morris, The Expositor's Bible
Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Hebrews/Exposition of Hebrews/VIII. Faith
(11:1-40)/F. The Faith of the Exodus Generation (11:29-31), Book Version: 4.0.2
[8] Richard S. Hess, Joshua: An
Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL : InterVarsity Press, 1996
(Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries 6), S. 89
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